NATO chief says Greenland sovereignty not discussed in Trump talks

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated that his recent discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump did not touch upon the fundamental issue of Greenland's sovereignty. In an interview with Fox News late Wednesday, Rutte clarified that the conversation centered on Arctic security rather than the transfer of the territory from Danish control.

A Focus on Collective Arctic Security

Rutte explained that Trump's focus was on protecting the Arctic region from growing strategic competition. "We know that the region is opening up more and more, the sea lanes are opening up more and more for the Russians and the Chinese and others," Rutte said. He emphasized that the framework they discussed was aimed at implementing a vision for "collectively protecting Greenland as well as the whole Arctic," underscoring a NATO-centric approach to the region's security challenges.

Contrast with Trump's Earlier Demands

This clarification stands in contrast to Trump's earlier explicit linkage of tariff threats to the "complete and total purchase of Greenland." Following the meeting in Davos, Trump announced a "framework of a future deal" for Greenland and the Arctic, which led him to suspend tariffs slated for February 1 against eight European nations. Rutte's comments suggest the diplomatic understanding may have shifted toward a security partnership rather than a bilateral territorial transaction, sidestepping the core sovereignty dispute that has angered European allies.

Ongoing Diplomacy and Regional Rejections

Rutte acknowledged "a lot of work to be done" and pledged to advance the matter with "thoughtful diplomacy." The development occurs despite unwavering rejections from both the Danish government and Greenland's autonomous administration, which maintain the territory is not for sale. The U.S. interest is driven by Greenland's strategic location, resources, and concerns about rival powers. Rutte's delineation of the talks' scope attempts to reconcile U.S. strategic interests with alliance solidarity and the inviolability of a member state's territorial integrity.